HE would miss his partner and two young children terribly, but Knights back-rower Sione Mata'utia would be willing to relocate for months on a tropical island if it helped get the NRL season back on track. NRL officials are considering every option that would allow them to resume playing as soon as possible, in a bid to honour broadcasting deals and alleviate the financial crisis caused by the coronavirus-enforced hiatus. Toohey's News: Listen to Barry Toohey's new podcast in all your Podcast app Under a deal struck on Thursday night between the NRL and RLPA, players will receive only two months salary in the next seven months if no more games are played this season. But a left-field alternative emerged on Wednesday when a Queensland resort - Tangalooma Island Resort on Moreton Island - offered to accommodate all 16 teams in isolation. Teams would be transported on game day to Brisbane or Gold Coast to play in empty stadiums. Mata'utia said there would be "pros and cons" but he would probably agree to be involved. "You'd have to weigh up your options," he said. "You go up to the island and you start getting paid again, but you wouldn't get to see your family for however long. Me personally, I'd love to get the season up and going again as soon as possible. It would be a hard slog not seeing my family for three months, but ... if that's what has to happen, I'm all for it. "Hopefully the NRL and RLPA can look into it, and if it's safe for everyone, it might be an option. But the main thing is it has to be safe for everyone. That has to be at the forefront of their thinking." Mata'utia suffered a knee injury in Newcastle's pre-season trial against St George Illawarra but was preparing to return for the round-three clash with Cronulla at Kogarah. On the Monday before that game, however, NRL chairman Peter V'Landys announced the competition had been placed on hold indefinitely, in line with most other sporting codes around the world. Mata'utia was reluctant to discuss the hefty pay cuts NRL players are facing, saying it was important to "think about the bigger picture" and remember that countless people were dealing with coronavirus-related adversity. "There are definitely people in the world who are worse off than us, so we're definitely not complaining," he said. "It's just a tough time in the world right now and we all have to stick together and get through it."

Knights star Sione Mata'utia backs left-field plan to resume NRL

TALKING POINT: A Queensland resort has offered to accommodate all 16 NRL teams in isolation to help resume the season. Sione Mata'utia is a fan of the idea. Picture: Marina Neil

HE would miss his partner and two young children terribly, but Knights back-rower Sione Mata'utia would be willing to relocate for months on a tropical island if it helped get the NRL season back on track.

NRL officials are considering every option that would allow them to resume playing as soon as possible, in a bid to honour broadcasting deals and alleviate the financial crisis caused by the coronavirus-enforced hiatus.

Under a deal struck on Thursday night between the NRL and RLPA, players will receive only two months salary in the next seven months if no more games are played this season.

But a left-field alternative emerged on Wednesday when a Queensland resort - Tangalooma Island Resort on Moreton Island - offered to accommodate all 16 teams in isolation. Teams would be transported on game day to Brisbane or Gold Coast to play in empty stadiums.

Mata'utia said there would be "pros and cons" but he would probably agree to be involved.

"You'd have to weigh up your options," he said.

"You go up to the island and you start getting paid again, but you wouldn't get to see your family for however long. Me personally, I'd love to get the season up and going again as soon as possible. It would be a hard slog not seeing my family for three months, but ... if that's what has to happen, I'm all for it.

"Hopefully the NRL and RLPA can look into it, and if it's safe for everyone, it might be an option. But the main thing is it has to be safe for everyone. That has to be at the forefront of their thinking."

Mata'utia suffered a knee injury in Newcastle's pre-season trial against St George Illawarra but was preparing to return for the round-three clash with Cronulla at Kogarah.

On the Monday before that game, however, NRL chairman Peter V'Landys announced the competition had been placed on hold indefinitely, in line with most other sporting codes around the world.

Mata'utia was reluctant to discuss the hefty pay cuts NRL players are facing, saying it was important to "think about the bigger picture" and remember that countless people were dealing with coronavirus-related adversity.

"There are definitely people in the world who are worse off than us, so we're definitely not complaining," he said. "It's just a tough time in the world right now and we all have to stick together and get through it."